Platform rocking chair convertible to nonrocking



A. BELISLE Jan. 8, 1957 PLATFORM ROCKING CHAIR CONVERTIBLE TO NON ROCKING Filed June 23, 1955 United States Patent PLATFORM ROCKING CHAIR CONVERTIBLE TO NONROCKING Adelard Belisle, South Hadley Falls, Mass.., assignor to The Berkline Corporation, Chicopee Falls, Mass., a corporation Application June 23, 1955, Serial No. 517,541

6 Claims. (Cl. 155-72) This invention relates to improvements in chairs of the type wherein a seat and back are rockable on a base between upright and reclining positions and is directed more particularly to a mechanism for releasably locking the seat and back against movement on the base.

The principal object of the invention is directed to the provision of manually operable mechanism for a chair having a seat and back rockable or reclinable on a base which is constructed and arranged to releasably lock the seat and back against movement on the base in various reclined positions of the seat on the base. That is, the mechanism is adapted for releasably locking the seat and back in an upright or fully reclined position or an intermediate reclined position.

According to one novel feature of the invention, the mechanism is readily and easily aflixed to the seat and back of a chair and is readily and easily operated by an occupant of the chair to lock or release the seat.

The mechanism is compact in form so as to occupy but small space and, as is the case with prior art mechanisms, the construction and appearance of the chair is not unfavorably influenced in order to accommodate the mechanism.

According to other novel features of the invention, the construction is such that a friction member is maintained to be frictionally engaged by a friction means which is actuated by an operating rod in all relative positions of the seat and base so that the seat is easily and quickly locked by the occupant of the chair in any desired position.

All of the above cited objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth.

To these above and other ends and with the foregoing and various other and ancillary features and advantages and objects of my invention as will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain features of novelty, in a mode of operation, and in the combination, organization, and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in conjunction with accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a chair embodying the novel features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view at the near side of the chair on the line 22 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail the novel features of the invention will be fully described.

The chair has a base formed by opposite side members 2 and transverse front and rear end members 4 and 6 which are suitably secured together in the form of a rectangle. Legs 8' of suitable form are provided at the ice four corners of the base. It is usual to construct the base from wood but other materials may be used if desired.

A seat and back indicatedby 8 has side members 10 and transverse end members 12 and 14 which are secured together to provide a rigid structure. The components of the chair may be upholstered in the usual manner to provide the usual seat and back supporting means and the usual decorative appearance but forms no part of the present invention. Also the components may take any shape or configuration desired, the form shown being for purposes of disclosure merely.

The members 2 of the base serve as supporting bars. Rockers 16 are secured to inner sides of the side seat members 10 and have lower edges 18 which are curved for rocking or rolling on the upper sides of the members 2. The said rockers are secured together by forward and rear transverse end members 20 and 22. There may be other similar members.

Spring devices 24 at each side of the chair connect the members 2 and 16 of the base and seat and are of well known form. Said devices urge the seat in upright position of the occupant of the chair but permit the seat to be inclined from the upright position shown to an inclined position wherein the back assumes a more tilted position than that shown.

The mechanism of the invention is associated with the seat and base and more particularly with the forward transverse members 20 and 4 thereof. These members for purposes of disclosure will be referred to as the seat and base.

Lower and upper brackets 30 and 32 are secured to the base and seat by any suitable means, such as bolts or screws indicated by 34 in Fig. 2. Said brackets are preferably located intermediate opposite sides of the seat and base or midway between opposite sides of the chair. An operating rod 36 is journalled in a rocker 16 and a side member 10 of the seat and terminates adjacent the outer side of the member 10 in a manually engageable grip or handle 38.

The seat bracket 32 is provided with an internally threaded portion 38 threadedly engaging the inner threaded end 40 of the rod 36. Friction washers 42 and 44 are loose on the rod 36 and may be formed from any suitable material such as hard fiber, nylon, or other plastic material adapted under pressure to exert a substantial resistance to movement of a member therebetween.

A segment 46 is pivoted at 48 to the base bracket 30 and has an arcuate peripheral portion as shown. A link 52 has an upper outer end loose on the rod 36 and its lower inner end is pivotally connected to the segment at 52.

As the seat rocks or inclines from the upright to a reclining position the forward member 20 of the seat moves upwardly relatively to the forward member 4 of the base. The link connected as it is to the rod and segment insures that the peripheral portion of the segment is maintained between the friction means such as the washers 42 and 44.

Actuating means associated with the rod 36 includes a pair of nuts ,54 and 56 on the rod 36 at opposite sides of a stop 58.

As the rod is rotated in locking direction it will move axially in locking direction. When rotated in an opposite direction it will move in releasing direction.

The nuts 54 and 56 and the stop 58 are so adjusted and jammed that as the rod is rotated in locking direction the nuts function as an actuator to press against the link 52 and cause the periphery of the segment to be frictionally gripped by the washers 42 and 44, the washer 42 frictionally engaging the bracket 32. In this way the segment is held against movement and thereby the seat is locked in reclining position relative to the base.

For purpose of disclosure it will be assumed that the threaded connection of the rod and bracket 32 are such that the rod is rotated in a clockwise direction for locking the seat and is rotated in an opposite direction to release the seat. In such a case the stop 58 is arranged so that its outer end will abut the seat member as the rod is rotated in releasing direction thereby to limit rotation of the rod in releasing direction.

The threaded connection may be such that the rod is rotated counterclockwise for locking the seat and is rotated in an opposite direction for releasing the seat. The stop may be secured in proper position on the rod otherwise than being jammed by the nuts, as by a key or pin.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Manually operable locking mechanism for a chair seat which is rockable on the base of the chair between forward upright position of the occupant of the chair and rear reclining position thereof comprising in combination, a pair of separate brackets for securing to said seat and base respectively, an operating rod, connections between said rod and one of said brackets constructed and arranged for enabling turning and axial movement of said rod in a locking direction and turning and axial movement thereof in an opposite releasing direction, an elongated link having opposite ends, one end of said link being pivotally connected to said rod, a segment pivotally connected to the opposite end of said link having a perip'heral edge and opposite side friction faces adjacent thereto disposed adjacent said rod, another pivotal connection between said segment and the other of said brackets, and separate friction means engageable with said opposite friction faces of the segment operable by said one bracket and said one end of the link in relative movement towards said friction faces as said rod is turned and moved axially in locking direction.

2. Manually operable locking mechanism for a chair seat which is rockable on the base of the chair between forward upright and rear reclining positions of the occupant of the chair comprising in combination, a pair of separate brackets for securing to said seat and base respectively, an operating rod, connections between said rod and the bracket for securing to the seat arranged for enabling turning and axial movement of said rod in locking direction and for turning and axial movement thereof in opposite releasing direction, an elongated link having one end pivoted to said rod and an opposite end portion extending therefrom, a segment, and pivotal connections between said segment and said opposite end portion of the link, said segment having a peripheral arcuate edge and friction faces adjacent thereto on opposite sides thereof disposed adjacent said rod, another pivotal connection between said segment and the bracket for securing to the chair base spaced from the pivotal connections between the link and segment whereby as the brackets are moved towards and away from one another the periphery and friction faces of the segment rotate relative to the rod, friction means between :the bracket for securing to the seat and the friction face at one side of the segment and friction means between the opposite friction face of the segment and said one end of the link, and means operable by said rod as it turns and moves axially in 4 locking direction to frictionally engage said friction means and the friction faces of the segment.

3. A chair construction comprising in combination, a base, a seat and back rockable on said base between forward upright and relatively rear reclining positions, separate brackets secured to said seat and base respectively, an operating rod, connections between one of said brackets and operating rod constructed and arranged for enabling turning and axial movements of said rod in looking direction and turning and axial movement thereof in an opposite releasing direction, an elongated link having opposite ends, pivotal connections between one end of said link and said rod, a segment pivotally connected to the opposite end of said link and having a peripheral edge and opposite side friction faces adjacent thereto disposed adjacent said rod, another pivotal connection between said segment and said other bracket, and separate friction means engageable with said opposite side friction faces of the segment operable by said one bracket and said one end of the link and arranged for relative movement towards and into frictional engagement with said friction faces as said rod is turned and moved axially in locking direction.

4. A chair construction comprising in combination, a base, a seat and back roclcable on said base between forward upright and relatively rear reclining positions, separate brackets secured to said seat and base respectively, an operating rod, connections between one of said brackets and operating rod constructed and arranged for enabling turning and axial movements of said rod in locking direction and turning and axial movement thereof in an opposite releasing direction, an elongated link having opposite ends, pivotal connections between one end of said link and said rod, a segment pivotally connected to the opposite end of said link and having a peripheral edge and opposite side friction faces adjacent thereto disposed adjacent said rod, another pivotal connection between said segment and said other bracket, and friction means engageable with said opposite side friction faces of the segment operable by said one bracket and said one end of the link and arranged for relative movement towards and into frictional engagement with said friction faces as said rod is turned and moved axially in locking direction, and top means fixed to said rod engageable with said seat to limit turning of said rod in releasing direction.

5. A chair construction comprising in combination, a base, a seat and back rockable on said base between forward upright and relatively rear reclining positions, separate brackets secured to aid seat and base respectively, an operating rod, connections between said rod and one of said brackets constructed and arranged for enabling turning and axial movements of said rod in locking direction and turning and axial movements in releasing direction, an elongated link having opposite ends, a pivotal connection between one end of said link and said rod, a segment pivotally connected to the opposite end of said link having a peripheral edge and opposite side friction faces adjacent thereto disposed adjacent said rod, another pivotal connection between said segment and said other bracket, friction means around said rod between a face of said one bracket and an adjacent face of said segment, friction means around said rod between an opposite face of said segment and one side of said one end of the link, and an abutment on said rod engageable with an opposite side of said one end of the link.

6. The combination with a chair having a base and a seat rockable thereon between forward upright and rear reclining positions of mechanism for releasably locking said seat against rocking comprising, a seat bracket and a base bracket secured to said seat and base respectively, an operating rod screw threaded in said seat bracket for enabling rotating and axial movement in locking direction and rotating and axial movement in opposite releasing direction, a link having an upper end loose on said rod and a lower free end portion extending therefrom, a segment pivotaily connected to the free end of the link having an ancu'ate peaipheral edge spaced item the axis of said pivot-a1 connection and provided with friction faces on opposite sides thereof adjacent said edge and disposed adjacent said rod, another pivotal connection between said base bracket and segment whereby as said seat rocks in opposite directions on said base the armate edge and friction faces of the segment swing in opposite directions relative to said rod, fiiction means between said sea't bracket and the frietion fiace at one side of the segment and firietion means adjacent the friction face at References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,456,043 Belisle Dec. 14, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain July 22, 1953 

